Sunday, December 29, 2013

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! This past year is great, and this upcoming year will be perfect with the whole thing in dedication to the Lord.

The more you are trying to represent the Lord, the more you realize what needs to happen. I came out here different than I am now. The Christlike attributes in Preach My gospel are excellent because those areas of your life can use such improvement and that chapter shows you how. I have seen such growth and I see so much growth yet to be done.

Pride is such an interesting thing because it is just so tricky. No wonder pride is the core for sins. The cool thing about my mission so far is to see how much I need to be more humble, more submissive, more patient, loving, faithful, etc. The mission truly is the opportunity of a lifetime.

This past Sunday was excellent with an investigator, Eustina, coming to church. She loved it and we'll be expecting her next Sunday as well. We even had a former investigator come to church, who we've invited many times. We were excited to see her. She wants a church that focuses on Christ. My companion gave her our General Conference Ensign to read, and by that she'll come to know that we have a true prophet this day named Thomas S. Monson. She also enjoyed church. Gwen was having pain with her back so unfortunately she wasn't able to come.

The mission has been good so far. I am still with the same companion I started with. We are tight, though it is interesting how different two people can be. There are those imperfect times, but what a great opportunity to humble myself and prioritize, sacrificing, and serving more.

I had the privilege of skyping my family this past week. What great joy; what great tears. That time was sanctified to me. Families are so sacred--pity not all know such or act when they know. It was a time of homesickness, but also a time to see those things you treasure most upheld by God and His truths that reign. I am ever far from home, but I am home in the service of God, and seeing my family again, coming home proud that I gave it my all; that is my reward.

I testify that we must treasure that which is in heaven, which can be forever ours. Heaven has sealed the family, so may we treat our families as treasures in heaven, for they are sealed in such.

Pretty cool eh? And I am thankful for it. These things I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.